Bulldogs pick up commitment from two-sport star

STARKVILLE -- Mississippi State University got a interesting verbal commitment that as a right now doesn't fit into a normal projection box for most recruiting analysts.

247Sports.com was the first to report the verbal pledge of Wenonah High School star De'Runnya Wilson to the Bulldogs Tuesday afternoon. The interesting angle of Wilson is he is apparently insistent on playing both football and basketball at the next level after having so much success on the hardwood the past two seasons.

"I feel I can help out quick in both sports," Wilson told 247sports.com. "In football I can get all the jump balls and out-muscle defensive backs and catch the ball at the highest point. I will be doing all the things that Coach Brewster teaches me. Whatever he teaches me is what I will be doing."

Despite being the target on very few throws per game due to the high school's run-heavy attack, Wilson had 23 catches for 482 yards and seven touchdowns this past season for the Dragons.

The Dispatch MSU Sports Blog spoke to Wenonah High School basketball coach Cedric Lane and learned Wilson's future may be in helping the MSU basketball program early as a 6-foot-6 small forward option in their rotation.

"(Wilson) is more of a basketball guy so he was insistent to not to give up either sport when picking a school," Lane said. "The fact is he didn't play football for two years to concentrate on being the best the basketball player he could be."

According to AL.com, MSU coach Dan Mullen and Brewster were scheduled to attend Wilson's basketball game against rival Parker High School Tuesday night.

Wilson (6-6, 215) reportedly held scholarship offers in basketball from Samford University, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Murray State University, University of South Alabama, Alabama A&M University and the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. Also Auburn University was interested in his services to play football and basketball as well before he choose MSU Tuesday afternoon.

"He's the best player in the state of Alabama and one of the toughest kids I've ever coached," Lane said.

Wilson was the 2012 Alabama Mr. Basketball runner-up to current MSU guard Craig Sword out of Montgomery Carver High School after averaging 16 points and 13 rebounds last season. He currently putting up 20 points and 15 rebounds this season in his senior season as captain of the Wenonah program.

"It really is nothing for him to get double-digit rebounds in a game because of his toughness and hustle," Lane said. "He's been rebounding and doing the little things in this game since he 6-foot-3 in eighth grade."

According to 247Sports.com, Wilson visited the MSU Jan. 11 and The Birmingham News is reporting Wilson will not be taking an official visit to Auburn this weekend, which was highly expected.

Wilson is the 23rd verbal commitment in the 2013 recruiting class and the sixth receiver in the group. His primary recruiting coach Tim Brewster, MSU's wide receiver coach, has already secured a verbal commitment from Memphis athlete Donald Gray on Jan. 11.

"I know he felt more comfortable with that guy [Tim Brewster] than with anybody else he'd talked to during the whole process," Lane said. "With MSU losing so much on the receiver side and needing help as soon as possible on the basketball side, it was a perfect fit."